Journal of Theoretical
and Applied Mechanics

55, 2, pp. 559-569, Warsaw 2017
DOI: 10.15632/jtam-pl.55.2.559

The influence of variations of geometrical parameters on the notching stress intensity factors of cylindrical shells

Hassane Moustabchir, Moulay A. Hamdi Alaoui, Abdelhak Babaoui, Karl D. Dearn, Catalin I. Pruncu, Zitoune Azari
The modern approach of Virtual Engineering allows one to detect with some accuracy the
residual life of components especially free of cracks. The life estimation becomes cumbersome
when the components contain a crack. A straightforward formulation requires a parameter
that considers geometrical constraints and materials properties. The magnitude of the stress
singularity developed by the tip of a crack, needs to be expressed by the Stress Intensity
Factors (SIF). In order to prove the validity of the results, calibration by experimental and/or
analytical technique is required. To have a better understanding of this parameter, in the first
part of this paper an analytical model to compute the SIF connected to crack propagation
into Mode I has been implemented. The case study displays a pipeline component with a
crack defect submitted to internal pressure. Therefore, an appropriate correlation between
the analytical approach and numerical simulation has been established embedded.
Keywords: crack, Finite Element (FE), internal pressure, Stress Intensity Factors (SIF)